Posts Tagged ‘Dubai’

« Newer Entries
Older Entries »
h1

The Boat that Rocks Afternoon

February 10, 2013

Posted by Kanga.

At the invitation of Rock Radio 90.7, we headed off to Jebel Ali for an afternoon on a boat.

Google map view of Jebel Ali

The weather was perfect – sunny, as always, and a pleasant breeze.

long boat with glassed in lower level and open deck on top

DaddyBird dressed appropriately.

man wearing an Iron Maiden jacket standing at the bow of the boat

There were a variety of vessels out on water.

a small sailboat, motor boat and yacht on the waters

The posts in the distance are the unfinished bridge to the Jebel Ali Palm Island.

man on a paddle board

There’s no surf in the Gulf, so they do paddle boarding instead.

card game spread across a table

We got a few rounds of Guillotine card game in.

sun approaching the horizon, shining on the water

By the time the sun was reaching the horizon, our relaxing boat ride was over.

sun setting behind palm trees

Posted in Dubai, Palm Island | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

h1

Sunset, Good Food, Good Friends

February 8, 2013

Posted by Kanga.

red sunset as viewed from a highway between rugged hills

Thursday is the end of our week and the beginning of the weekend. We headed into Dubai to meet friends for dinner. It just happened to be sunset time. The high winds at this time of year kick up the dust and make for a pretty spectacular red glow along the horizon.

wispy clouds that look like wings

The wispy clouds were beautiful, like angel wings.

wispy pink clouds

We met good friends for dinner at the China Sea restaurant. We ordered too much food and managed to eat most of it.

carrot carved to look like a graceful bird

I am deeply impressed by our friends. They are good hearted, caring people, not just fun company.

Posted in Dubai, food, Fujairah, restaurant | Tagged , , | 3 Comments »

h1

Light Garden

January 11, 2013

Posted by Kanga.

light decoration shaped like a camel 50% full size

Winter decorations at the Mirdiff City Center Mall include a light garden complete with light camel,

light decoration horse

Light horse, whose tail was on a break,

light bushes in a water feature

Light bushes in the water feature,

light decorations of birds in the trees

And light birds in the trees.

Posted in Dubai, fountains, malls | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

h1

Christmas is in the Air

December 11, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

blue sky with fluffy clouds above rugged hills

December is here and the weather is beautiful. Here’s what the weather stats are like.

weather prediction statistics

It is Christmas at the malls. Every year the decorations are new. I wonder where the old ones go.

huge Christmas balls huge in the shopping mall atrium

Christmas trees in the mall covered in lights

Nice, subtle decorations.

more Christmas trees covered in lights

With the “cold” weather comes the winter wear. These are not just meant for wearing in Ski Dubai. People wear them outdoors.

store window with manikins dressed in winter clothes

I took the picture below just for the little, understated number in the middle.

store window manikins

Once again it seems that the manikins have been partying too hard.

store window with manikins that have lampshades on their heads

Posted in Christmas, Dubai, malls, Shopping | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

h1

Travelling via Global Village

November 14, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

entrance gate

With the cooler weather comes the Global Village. We lined up at the gate for opening at 4 p.m.

two story facade colonial style

The façades of the pavilions change each year. I particularly like the fake fans on this colonial style building.

sign stating amazing thailand always amazes you

Thailand’s marketing seems a little redundant.

bright yellow, red and gold facade

The Hong Kong pavilion is quite colorful and inviting.

sign advertizing gangam style coffee

Gangnam style coffee was available in the South Korea pavilion, but I didn’t see anyone dancing.

artificial canal and pavilions

Being early in the season and early in the evening, the crowds were light and it was quite pleasant.

artificial canal and pavilions

We purchased a few things in the African pavilion. They have many intriguing, hand made items. On our next visit, I will definitely go back to the Tipsy Gypsy booth in the Spain pavilion for lovely Christmas gifts.

artificial canal and pavilions

If you are in the UAE and haven’t gone to Global Village, you are missing out. Go, have some legaimat (Emirati doughnuts), stroll through the pavilions, and catch some of the music/dance performances. It is worthwhile.

Posted in Dubai, Shopping | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

h1

Desert Fog

October 13, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

There were at least two foggy days in Dubai last week. Generally, this does not affect us in Fujairah, but we both had to go to Dubai on Thursday, I for work reasons and DaddyBird for the dentist.

So, we got to experience the fog.

zero visibility due to fog

Driving was a challenge. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of drivers who pulled over to the side of the road. Those who continued to drive slowed down. This may seem like common sense to you, Reader, but the UAE is known for it’s 35+ car pile ups.

view through the car windshield showing another vehicle a few car lengths ahead which is barely visible

If you want to see a video of the fog from the topside – click here. Nature is amazing.

Posted in Dubai, weather | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

h1

Old Classic

October 12, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

1950's red firetruck

That’s the thing about Dubai. You never know what you are going to see.

Posted in Dubai, oddities | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments »

h1

American Breakfast Breakthrough

August 11, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

I’ve blogged previously about the difficulty of finding an American style breakfast in the UAE. ( Here ) IHOP (International House of Pancakes) recently opened in the Mall of the Emirates (Dubai).

If we were in America, IHOP would not be our first choice or any choice, in fact. IHOP has been around a long time (est. 1958) and quality of the food and service has decreased over the years. Because this restaurant is new and probably performing at it’s best in food quality and service, we gave it a try.

IHOP menu cover

The place was buzzing with both customers and a large team of staff. I’ve been craving eggs benedict for months now, so deciding what to order was easy for me.

eggs benedict, hash browns, blue berry pancakes, country fried steak, fried eggs

Over the years I have observed as DaddyBird would read the whole menu, considering all his options and then order country fried steak. After protesting that he doesn’t do that, he ordered country fried steak. I rest my case.

The food was quite good. The hollandaise sauce on the eggs benedict was very cheesy. Yum. A refillable coffee caraffe and a jug of grapefruit juice topped it all off. Service was very attentive and good.

Posted in Dubai, food, restaurant | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

h1

Ramadan Kareem

August 10, 2012

Posted by Kanga.decorated atrium, lights, stars and crescent moon
Mall of the Emirates Ramadan decorations.

Posted in Dubai, malls, Ramadan | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

h1

Ramadan 2012

August 7, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

Last week we revisited the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding for the iftar meal. This is an excellent program introducing tourists and ex-pats to Emirati food and traditions. The volunteers do a very good job of explaining traditions and are open to any questions.

man and woman dressed in Emirati fashion

We opted for “Eastern wear.”

people seated on cushions

We attended the event with some of our friends.

bedouin man serving coffee

Arabic coffee served by a bedouin.

containers of food laid out on the carpet

The meal.

young Emirati man talking with three women

Several young Emiratis volunteer at the center. During the dinner they mingle with the attendees to converse and answer any questions. Mohammed, from Sharjah, had his hands full in conversing with us. Our friends are all “old timers” in the UAE. DaddyBird and I, with our four years of residency, are the new comers. Mita came to Dubai about the time that young Mohammed was born.

interior of a mosque

After the meal, the group walked to the nearby mosque for a basic introduction to Islamic concepts and rituals.

approximately 50 people seated on the floor in the mosque

 

traditional buildings lit at night

After a walk back to the cultural center, it was time for dessert and a question/answer session.

dessert dishes laid out on the carpet

Just in case you came to this blog for information on Ramadan, here are the basics: Ramadan is a month in the Arabic (lunar) calendar. During this month, muslims fast during the day (sunrise to sunset). This means no food or liquids. They also exercise discipline by refraining from things like sex or smoking. The goal is to focus on being a better person. Once the sun sets, the fast is broken with an iftar meal. This meal may be done in the home, at the mosque, or at a restaurant. Another meal, suhoor, is eaten in the early morning hours before sunrise and the beginning of the next fast. It is not uncommon to stay awake most or all of the night and sleep during the day. Work hours are usually reduced to 6 hours (8 am to 1 pm, or 9 am to 2 pm). Some businesses close during the day and open after sunset.

For those in Dubai, we recommend the meal related events at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. During the other months (non-Ramadan) they serve both breakfasts and lunches. It is well worth the time and money.

Posted in culture, Dubai, food, mosque, Ramadan | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

« Newer Entries
Older Entries »